1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solar cell module including a plurality of solar cells, and a manufacturing method thereof.
2. Background Information
As a solar cell module, a slat type having a plurality of elongated solar cells arranged next to and connected to one another is known (for example, see FIG. 7 of WO 2010/023264 A (Patent Document 1)), and this solar cell module is manufactured in the following manner, for example.
An elongated solar cell is obtained by sending out a belt-like metal material wound around a roll, applying various types of coating to form a solar cell on the metal material, and then, cutting to a predetermined length. This solar cell includes, as shown in FIG. 9(a), a power generating layer 91 (for example, a semiconductor layer) and a transparent conductive film (an upper conductive layer) 90 above a metal substrate (a lower conductive layer) 92 formed from the metal material.
Then, a plurality of solar cells are arranged next to one another and the edge portions of adjacent solar cells are overlapped with each other and bonded by bonding metal such as solder to form one solar cell module. The solar cell module manufactured in this manner has a plurality of solar cells electrically connected in series, and is capable of obtaining useful voltage.
If the metal material which has been coated in the manner described above is cut (sheared) to a predetermined length, since the film thicknesses of the transparent conductive film 90 and the power generating layer 91 in particular are thin (several μm), there is a possibility that the transparent conductive film 90 and the metal substrate 92 are short-circuited (electrically short-circuited) at a cut surface 93.
Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 9(b), a scribed groove 94 where at least the transparent conductive film 90 is removed by a predetermined width g is formed at both ends of the solar cell, and an end region including the scribed groove 94 is taken as a processed region B1. This configuration prevents a short-circuit between the transparent conductive film 90 and the metal substrate 92 at a main power generating region (a region where photoelectric conversion is actually performed) B2 in the middle excluding the processed region B1, and the function of a solar cell module is secured. Additionally, even if an isolated transparent conductive film portion 90a and the metal substrate 92 are short-circuited in the processed region B1, photoelectric conversion at the main power generating region B2 is not affected.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9(c), by performing a blasting process on both ends of the solar cell and forming the processed regions B1, the same function as in the case of FIG. 9(b) may be achieved.